The Address Connolly, a four-star hotel in Dublin’s Amiens Street, has claimed that an employee conducted an elaborate fraudulent operation, diverting payments worth €597,000 to her own account. In response to the corporate entity behind the hotel’s request, the High Court has swiftly issued orders to inhibit the employee, Andja Gulic Pejovic, and her spouse from reducing their properties below €582,000.
The establishment, previously referred to as The North Star Hotel, assumed its new identity under the Address Collective in the middle of 2020. According to formal legal documentation, Brian McGettigan, a director at BC McGettigan Limited, expressed his deep regret about discovering the fraudulent activities. These date back to April 2022 and have been carried out by Pejovic, who has been employed at different hotels owned by McGettigan since 2016.
McGettigan explained that Pejovic orchestrated 152 fraudulent transactions falsely claimed to be for designated suppliers or staff members. The funds were transferred to two Lithuanian Revolut bank accounts and one in Ireland, along with her own Bank of Ireland account.
The hotelier also reported data breaches and a forged Dubai rental contract, alleging they were the work of Pejovic. Her role at the hotel had advanced from being a junior accounts assistant in an another Address Collective hotel in 2016 to accounts assistant at the then North Star Hotel in 2019.
Currently, Pejovic, who has been on maternity leave since June of the previous year, is believed to be in Croatia, though she typically lives in Ireland, as per the court proceedings.
Mr McGettigan conveyed that initial suspicions were aroused when a supplier demanded a payment of €7,800 which, according to the hotel, had been settled. The supplier informed the hotel that they held incorrect bank details and this lead to the hotel’s finance team worrying about potential fraudulent activities.
It was found, after a review of payments, that payments supposed to reach various suppliers had instead been directed into three Revolut accounts.
Barry Robinson, at the helm of BDO’s forensic services team in Ireland, was engaged by the hotel to scrutinise their books and records and expose the full extent of the suspected fraud.
Mr McGettigan stated that the forensic accountant discovered a total of 152 “fraudulent” payments, accumulating to a sum of €596,997. It was also revealed by Mr Robinson that copious emails, encompassing copies of the company payroll and procurement database, were sent by Ms Pejovic to her husband, Dusan Pejovic, who is the other party in the case.
This alleged breach of data has been reported to Ireland’s data protection watchdog.
The case referring to what Frank Kennedy, the hotel’s barrister, termed a “quite intricate fraud” was discussed on Friday, with worries being raised about possible asset dissipation due to the degree of deception involved.
Revolut, among other relevant financial organisations, will urgently be informed of the court’s order to freeze assets.
Interim orders forbidding the defendants from dispersing their assets below €582,000 have been issued by Mr Justice Brian Cregan. The matter will return to court on Wednesday, providing the Pejovics an opportunity to refute the claims presented. The judge also stated that the defendants could come to court earlier if they wish to challenge his orders.